Part 15 (2/2)
CHAPTER XIV.
1696-1697.
Imprisoned French Fur-Traders Reach Paris -- A Fleet under Iberville Despatched by Lewis to the Bay -- Company's four s.h.i.+ps precede them through the Straits -- Beginning of a Fierce Battle -- The _Hamps.h.i.+re_ Sinks -- Escape of the _Dering_ and capture of the _Hudson's Bay_ -- Dreadful Storm in the Bay -- Losses of the Victors -- Landing of Iberville -- Operations against Fort Nelson -- Bailey Yields -- Evacuation by the English.
The French prisoners captured in the Company's expedition of 1696 suffered an incarceration of nearly four months at Portsmouth. No sooner had their liberty been regained than they boarded a French brig bound for Havre, and on arrival in Paris lost little time in making known the condition of affairs at Hudson's Bay. Lewis and his Ministers, gazing upon this emaciated band of traders and bushrangers, could hardly refrain from taking immediate action to retrieve the situation. Precisely following the tactics of their enemy in the previous year, they engaged four men-of-war; which fleet was despatched to join Iberville, then at the port of Placentia in Newfoundland. The Court was well aware that there was no one man so thoroughly equipped at all points in knowledge of the Bay, and the conditions there of life and warfare, as this hero. Consequently, although numerous enough, all other offers to lead the expedition were rejected.
On the arrival of the French s.h.i.+ps at Placentia, Iberville took command, embarking in the _Pelican_, of fifty guns. The others were the _Palmier_, the _Weesph_, the _Pelican_, and the _Violent_.[31]
But Fort Nelson was not to be captured without a struggle.
[Sidenote: Meeting of the French and English s.h.i.+ps.]
At almost the very moment the French fleet sailed, there departed from Plymouth four of the Company's s.h.i.+ps, the _Hamps.h.i.+re_, the _Hudson's Bay_, the _Dering_, and _Owner's Love_, a fire-s.h.i.+p, the two former having been partic.i.p.ants in the conquest of the previous year. The Company's fleet entered the straits only forty hours before the s.h.i.+ps of the French; and like them was much impeded by the ice, which was unusually troublesome. Pa.s.sage was made by the enemy in the English wake. The _Profound_, commanded by Duque, pushed past the currents, taking a northerly course, which brought her commander into full view of two of the Company's s.h.i.+ps. Shots were exchanged; but owing to the difficulties engendered by the ice, it was impossible to manoeuvre with such certainty as to cut off the Frenchman's escape. While this skirmish was in progress, Iberville in the _Pelican_ succeeded in getting past the English unknown to them, and reached the mouth of the Nelson River in sight of the fort. His presence, as may be imagined, greatly surprised and disturbed the Governor and the Company's servants; for they had believed their own s.h.i.+ps would have arrived in season to prevent the enemy from entering the straits. Several rounds of shot were fired as a signal, in the hope that a response would be made by the Company's s.h.i.+ps which they hourly expected in that quarter.
On his part the French commander was equally disturbed by the non-arrival of his three consorts, which the exigencies of the voyage had obliged him to forsake. Two days were pa.s.sed in a state of suspense. At daybreak on the fifth of September three s.h.i.+ps[32] were distinctly visible; both parties joyfully believed they were their own. So certain was Iberville, that he immediately raised anchor and started to join the newcomers. He was soon undeceived, but the perception of his mistake in no way daunted him.
The Company's commanders were not prepared either for the daring or the fury of the Frenchman's onslaught. It is true the _Pelican_ was much superior to any of their own craft singly, being manned by nearly two hundred and fifty men, and boasting forty-four pieces of cannon.
The Company's s.h.i.+ps lined up, the _Hamps.h.i.+re_ in front, the _Dering_ next, with the _Hudson's Bay_ bringing up the rear.
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”HAMPs.h.i.+RE.” ”HUDSON'S BAY.” ”DERING.”]
[Sidenote: A fierce battle in the Bay.]
The combatants being in close proximity the battle began at half-past nine in the morning. The French commander came straight for the _Hamps.h.i.+re_, whose captain, believing it was his enemy's design to board, instantly lowered his mainsheet and put up his fore-top-sail.
Contact having been by these means narrowly evaded, the scene of battle suddenly s.h.i.+fted to the _Pelican_ and the _Dering_, whose mainsail was smitten by a terrific volley. At the same time the _Hudson's Bay_, veering, received a damaging broadside. The Company's men could distinctly hear the orders shouted by Iberville to both s.h.i.+ps to discharge a musket fire into the _Dering's_ forecastle, but in this move he was antic.i.p.ated by the English sailors, who poured a storm of bullets in upon the Frenchman, accompanied by a broadside of grape, which wrought havoc with her sails. While the cries of the wounded on the _Pelican_ could be distinctly heard, all three of the Company's s.h.i.+ps opened fire, with the design of disabling her rigging.
But the captain of the _Hudson's Bay_, seeing that he could not engage the _Pelican_, owing to Iberville's tactics, determined to run in front of her and give her the benefit of a constant hull fire, besides taking the wind from her sails. Iberville observed the movement; the two English vessels were near; he veered around, and by a superb piece of seamans.h.i.+p came so near to the _Hamps.h.i.+re_ that the crew of the latter saw that boarding was intended. Every man flew out on the main deck, with his pistol and cutla.s.s, and a terrific broadside of grape on the part of the Englishman alone saved him.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE EVACUATION OF FORT NELSON.
(_See page 166._)]
The battle raged hotter and fiercer. The _Hamps.h.i.+re's_ salvation had been only temporary; at the end of three hours and a half she began to sink, with all sails set. When this occurred, Iberville had ninety men wounded, forty being struck by a single broadside. Notwithstanding this, he decided at once to push matters with the _Hamps.h.i.+re's_ companions, although the _Pelican_ was in a badly damaged state, especially the forecastle, which was a ma.s.s of splinters.
The enemy made at once for the _Dering_, which, besides being the smallest s.h.i.+p, had suffered severely. She crowded on all sail and managed to avoid an encounter, and Iberville being in no condition to prosecute the chase, returned to the _Hudson's Bay_, which soon surrendered. Iberville was not destined, however, to reap much advantage from his prize, the _Hamps.h.i.+re_. The English flag-s.h.i.+p was unable to render any a.s.sistance to her and she soon went down with nearly all on board.[33]
To render the situation more distressing, no sooner had some ninety prisoners been made, than a storm arose; so that it became out of the question to approach the sh.o.r.e with design of landing. They were without a long-boat and each attempt to launch canoes in the boiling surf was attended with failure.
[Sidenote: A great storm.]
Night fell; the wind instead of calming, grew fiercer. The sea became truly terrible, seeking, seemingly, with all its power to drive the _Pelican_ and the _Hudson's Bay_ upon the coast. The rudders of each s.h.i.+p broke; the tide rose and there seemed no hope for the crews whose destiny was so cruel. Their only hope in the midst of the bitter blast and clouds of snow which environed them, lay in the strength of their cables. Soon after nine o'clock the _Hudson's Bay_ and its anchor parted with a shock.
”Instantly,” says one of the survivors, ”a piercing cry went up from our forecastle. The wounded and dead lay heaped up, with so little separation one from the other that silence and moans alone distinguished them. All were icy cold, and covered with blood. They had told us the anchor would hold; and we dreaded being washed up on the sh.o.r.e stiff the next morning.”
A huge wave broke over the main deck and the s.h.i.+p rocked desperately.
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